Treeodes™

If a tree could impart its wisdom onto us humans, what would it say? What if, like a geode crystal, inside the mundane exterior of a tree was a brilliant surprise with a story to tell? The rings of a tree tell the tale of the interaction between the DNA coding of the organism and the seasonal cycles of the environment. What I call “Treeodes™” are slices of branches with the rings painted bright colors and patterns ‐ the process of painting these rings is a meditation on the life of the tree, essentially an “ode” to the tree. In all cases, what I find in the slice of the branch while painting it is emphasized or built upon with pattern overlays. Sometimes I find exactly what is expected - concentric rings around a central point. However, many times I find little surprises like channels where new branches formed or other interesting geometry that makes me wonder what occurred in the tree or the environment to cause it to form in such a way.